Written Answers Thursday 29 April 2010

Scottish Executive

Airports

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it ensured that Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd (HIAL) formally consulted ZetTrans regarding HIAL’s proposal to introduce car parking charges at Sumburgh Airport and, if not, what the reason is for its approach on this matter.

Stewart Stevenson: The consultation exercise on car parking charges at Sumburgh Airport is being conducted through Sumburgh Airport Consultative Committee. ZetTrans and Shetland Islands Council are represented jointly on the consultative committee and have already provided views to Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd on this matter.

Airports

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it took to ensure that Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd’s (HIAL) proposal to introduce car parking charges at Sumburgh Airport was subject to a wide and easily accessible consultation involving all Shetland businesses and residents.

Stewart Stevenson: The consultation exercise on car parking charges at Sumburgh Airport is being conducted through Sumburgh Airport Consultative Committee which is representative of a wide range of interests in Shetland. The Consultative Committee has provided the views of Shetland residents and Shetland based businesses to HIAL on this matter.

Alcohol Misuse

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, in reference to paragraph 122 of Changing Scotland’s Relationship with Alcohol: a Framework for Action , what progress the working group to update core services for alcohol treatment and support has made.

Shona Robison: The Essential Services working group has been established as a time-limited sub-group of the Scottish Ministerial Advisory Committee on Alcohol Problems (SMACAP) to update core services for alcohol treatment and support.

  The group meets on a monthly basis, with the first meeting having taken place at the end of January 2010. The group consists of key experts working in the alcohol field. There is representation from the NHS, COSLA, local authorities, alcohol and drug partnerships (ADPs) and the voluntary sector. The Essential Services working group will report to the Scottish Government in December 2010.

  The group has developed and agreed an operational framework and remit, project specification and project plan. The work of the group is on track and progressing well, with members currently drafting initial chapters which will form the basis of the final report.

Climate Change

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth wrote to the UK Government offering to represent UK interests at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, which will be held in Washington on 18-19 April 2010.

Stewart Stevenson: The meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate was announced by Todd Stern, US Special Envoy for Climate Change, on 7 April 2010. Following discussions at official level between the Scottish Government and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), Scottish ministers wrote to the UK Secretary of State on Tuesday 13 April. Lord Hunt, Minister of State, replied for DECC on 14 April 2010.

Climate Change

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the letter that it sent to the UK Government offering to represent UK interests at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, due to be held in Washington on 18-19 April 2010.

Stewart Stevenson: The text of the letter to the UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, issued on 13 April 2010, is as follows.

  I understand that the UK has been invited to a meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate in Washington on 18-19 April.

  In light of the current General Election and the uncertainty over UK policy direction, Scottish Ministers consider that it would be more appropriate for a Scottish minister to represent the UK on this occasion. As you know, there are recent precedents for Scottish ministers representing the UK abroad.

  Scotland has an excellent basis from which to engage with the international community on climate change. We have made the commitment to act as a model of international best practice in tackling climate change and to a world-leading level of ambition of 42% cuts in emissions by 2020. We have particular strengths in renewable energy, carbon capture and storage and forestry all of which are important to the international agenda. Developing countries in particular need to hear more examples of high ambition from the developed world at what is a crucial time for re-invigorating the international negotiations. Of course, we were disappointed that Scottish ministers did not have a place on the UK delegation to Copenhagen but the forum presents an excellent opportunity for the UK Government to more fully involve all parts of the UK in its international work.

  There are further areas where actions in Scotland will be of particular interest to the international community. The UK Government’s International Climate Change Action Plan published last week sets out the need for new alliances between developed and developing countries and also the position of small island states that are in the front line of the impacts of climate change. In Copenhagen, the First Minister and the President of the Maldives, an observer on the forum, made a joint statement announcing a Partnership on climate change that won the praise of the international community. Since then, our co-operation with the Maldives on the partnership has made good progress and a further announcement will be made at the earliest opportunity. Partnerships like this are a vital link between those countries strongly committed to tackling climate change and countries which are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and such partnerships can underpin broader international negotiations.

  The action plan also in several places mentions the importance of forestry globally. As a tangible outcome from the Copenhagen conference, the Scottish Government has pledged that 100 million trees will be planted in Scotland by 2015 as Scotland’s contribution to a pledge by The Climate Group States and Regions Alliance to plant 1 billion trees to persuade governments, businesses and communities worldwide to plant a tree for everyone on the planet. I hope you will agree that this is another excellent practical example of concrete action within the UK designed to maintain the momentum from Copenhagen.

  As you may know, Scotland has been an active member of The Climate Group’s States and Regions Alliance for many years and has many useful international contacts in that network. During the UNFCCC meetings in Barcelona and Copenhagen, the First Minister and our Minister for Climate Change made a number of very useful bilateral contacts, including from the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland and Norway.

  Scottish Ministers are determined to play our part in the UK and EU international leadership effort to secure significant progress during 2010 towards Cancun and a legally-binding treaty. You can be reassured that Scottish Ministers will continue to work with and support the UK Government in this important international agenda and I look forward to a positive response to my proposal that the Scottish Government should represent the UK at the forthcoming meeting.

Communities

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Enterprise was approached to play a role in the organisation of the proposed Islamic Expo and, if so, by whom and what the proposed role was.

Jim Mather: Scottish Enterprise is responsible for the allocation of its resources consistent with delivery of the objectives and priorities agreed with Scottish ministers and set out in its corporate plan.

  I will ask its chief executive to write to you in this regard.

Communities

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Development International was approached to play a role in the organisation of the proposed Islamic Expo and, if so, by whom and what the proposed role was.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether representatives of the Scottish-Islamic Foundation met Scottish Development International to discuss the proposed Islamic Expo and, if so, on what dates, broken down by officials involved.

Jim Mather: David Smith, the then Operations Director of SDI and Mark McMullen, Senior International Manager at SDI met the Scottish Islamic Foundation on 8 October 2008 where IslamFest was discussed.

  Further meetings took place, which were attended by Mark McMullen, on 13 January 2009 and 3 March 2009. In the event, SDI had no role in the delivery of IslamFest.

Communities

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers met Scottish Development International to discuss the proposed Islamic Expo and, if so, on what dates, broken down by ministers and officials involved.

Jim Mather: There have been no meetings between ministers and Scottish Development International to discuss the proposed IslamFest.

Communities

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers met Scottish Enterprise to discuss the proposed Islamic Expo and, if so, on what dates, broken down by ministers and officials involved.

Jim Mather: There has been no meetings between ministers and Scottish Enterprise to discuss IslamFest.

Culture

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive by what process artistic bodies will apply for grants from Creative Scotland.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects that the grants scheme to support artists operated by Creative Scotland will be broadly similar to that operated by the Scottish Arts Council.

Fiona Hyslop: This will be a matter for Creative Scotland itself to decide once it comes into existence. We have ensured that the legislation allows Creative Scotland the maximum flexibility in developing its framework for financial and other support.

  The Scottish Arts Council is continuing with "business as usual" until Creative Scotland is established, and the legislation makes it clear that Creative Scotland will honour all funding arrangements entered into by the Scottish Arts Council.

Education

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what decisions have been made regarding the implementation timetable of the Curriculum for Excellence and new qualifications.

Michael Russell: I have accepted the unanimous advice from the Curriculum for Excellence Management Board that the implementation of the Curriculum for Excellence programme by August 2010 is realistic and achievable.

  The Education Institute of Scotland alone favoured a one year delay to the introduction of the new qualifications. I have today met with the EIS to continue discussions on addressing their concerns.

Education

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to tackle violence in schools.

Keith Brown: Any violence in schools in unacceptable. The Scottish Government is committed to helping schools create peaceful and positive learning environments and is working to tackle serious indiscipline and violence in a variety of ways.

  Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research 2009 shows that local authorities and schools use a wide range of approaches to promote positive behaviour and deal with negative behaviour including; developing a positive ethos; whole school approaches such as restorative and solution oriented approaches; curricular programmes in social and emotional wellbeing; broad curriculum and individualised learning packages, and additional support and provision within and beyond the school. We fund the positive behaviour team (£600,000 pa) to support local authorities in promoting and embedding these approaches.

Education

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide the PFI revenue costs as a share of gross local authority education expenditure for 2008-09, comparable to the figures given up to that year in Education Revenue Costs of PFI School Estate Schemes.

Michael Russell: PFI revenue costs accounted for 5.0% of total gross local authority education expenditure in 2008-09. This is a rise of 1.2% on the previous year and compares with 0.4% in 2000-01.

Education

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will continue to address the concerns of teaching unions that have called for a delayed implementation of the Curriculum for Excellence.

Michael Russell: I have accepted the unanimous advice from the Curriculum for Excellence management board that the implementation of the Curriculum for Excellence programme by August 2010 is realistic and achievable. The board includes representation from the Association of Headteachers and Deputes in Scotland, the Educational Institute in Scotland, School Leaders Scotland and the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association amongst others.

  The EIS alone favoured a one year delay to the introduction of the new qualifications. I met with them on 29 April to continue discussions on addressing their concerns.

  We are also progressing with the 10-point action plan I announced on 30 March to provide establishments and individual teachers with the necessary support for implementation of Curriculum for Excellence.

Education

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many events will be held to allow head teachers to share best practice with regard to the implementation of the Curriculum for Excellence and whether these events will be held before August 2010.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Government is planning to hold five regional head teacher events, starting in September 2010.

Education

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what role Learning and Teaching Scotland is playing in the development of the new national qualifications.

Michael Russell: As a national educational delivery partner, Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) is represented on the Curriculum for Excellence Management Board. LTS is also represented on SQA’s Curriculum Areas Review Groups and Qualification Design Teams. LTS will also develop resources for the new Curriculum for Excellence qualifications. It is working closely with SQA and other delivery partners to develop a coherent curriculum, assessment and qualifications system under Curriculum for Excellence.

Education

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there are sufficient numbers of teachers to allow for flexibility in training and continuing professional development for the Curriculum for Excellence.

Michael Russell: Yes. Figures published as part of the Teacher Census in 2009 confirm that pupil to teacher ratios in publicly-funded schools remain close to their lowest ever levels in Scotland.

  In addition to the existing provisions for continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers (under which each teacher must engage in 35 hours CPD per year and participate in five in-service days per year), the Scottish Government has acted to increase the capacity for teachers to engage in professional development focused on Curriculum for Excellence. This has included enabling the provision of four additional in-service days, over three school years, for every teacher.

Electricity

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Scottish and Southern Energy regarding undergrounding sections of the Beauly to Denny power line upgrade in the Stirling area.

Jim Mather: Scottish Power Transmission Ltd (SPT) have responsibility for constructing the overhead line upgrade in the Stirling area.

  Discussions have been held between Scottish Government officials, SPT and Stirling Council regarding the Stirling Visual Impact Mitigation Scheme. No proposals have been submitted. Undergrounding part or parts of the new line remains one of the options open to the developer in seeking to mitigate the visual impact of the line in the Stirling area. This is also the case in respect of the Glenside Mitigation Scheme.

Electricity

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Scottish and Southern Energy regarding undergrounding sections of the Beauly to Denny power line upgrade in Perthshire.

Jim Mather: Discussions have been held between Scottish Government officials and Scottish and Southern Energy on the Auchilhanzie Visual Impact Mitigation Scheme. Undergrounding is one of the various options being considered in seeking to mitigate the visual impact at this location.

Energy Efficiency

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive on what date it expects to publish the Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland.

Jim Mather: The Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland will be published before the summer recess. The action plan will set out a suite of ambitious policies and programmes to reduce Scotland’s energy consumption across all sectors.

Ferry Services

Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive by (a) how much in cash terms and (b) what percentage have all Calmac ferry fares (i) on the Clyde, (ii) to the Western Isles and (iii) across the rest of the network increased or decreased since May 2007.

Stewart Stevenson: It is not possible to provide the annual changes in cash terms, given the complexity of the CalMac fares structure. The percentage changes from May 2007 are as follows:

  March 2008

  From March 2008 the fares increased across the whole network by 1.8%. On 19 October 2008, the Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) was introduced on a number of selected routes and fares subsequently decreased by varying amounts ranging from 0 to 50%.

  March 2009

  From March 2009 the fares increased by 3.8%, except RET routes, which remained unchanged.

  March 2010

  The fares on all routes, including RET, increased by 4.2%, with the following exceptions: multi-journey tickets increased by 2.2% and coaches and commercial vehicles increased by 3%.

Fire Service

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme Circular issued by the Local Government and Firefighters’ Pensions Division.

Fergus Ewing: The annual increase of public sector pensions is a reserved matter.

Fisheries

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to protect the stock of wild salmon in rivers.

Roseanna Cunningham: We have made available £1.2 million over three years forging a new partnership with the Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland and local salmon fishery managers to modernise the management of wild salmon and freshwater fisheries in Scotland.

Further Education

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reassess plans to change the governance arrangements of further education colleges.

Keith Brown: Ministers keep the governance arrangements of further education colleges under ongoing review. Officials plan to meet representatives of stakeholders, including the Scottish Funding Council, the STUC, NUS Scotland and the organisation "Scotland’s Colleges", on 11 May 2010 to consider the scope for further improving college governance.

Further Education

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students at a further education institute had their course funded by the Scottish Government in each of the last 10 years, broken down by students from (a) Scotland or (b) elsewhere in the European Union.

Keith Brown: This is a matter for the Scottish Funding Council. I will ask the Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council to reply to the member.

Health

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the business case for a new Glenwood Health Centre in Glenrothes will be approved by ministers.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Glenwood Health Centre Initial Agreement was submitted to Scottish Government for initial comment on 30 March 2010. This document was approved by the NHS Fife Board’s Finance and Resources Committee at its meeting on the same day.

  Formal approval to the Initial Agreement by Fife NHS Board is anticipated at its meeting on 27 April 2010.

  The Initial Agreement will be formally considered by the Scottish Government’s Capital Investment Group at its meeting on 26 May 2010.

National Health Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any NHS agency has held a meeting or event at Cameron House Hotel since May 2007 and, if so, what the (a) nature, (b) date and (c) total cost was of each such meeting or event.

Nicola Sturgeon: This is a matter for NHS agencies. The information requested is not held centrally.

National Health Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any NHS board has held a meeting or event at Cameron House Hotel since May 2007 and, if so, what the (a) nature, (b) date and (c) total cost was of each such meeting or event.

Nicola Sturgeon: This is a matter for NHS boards. The information requested is not held centrally.

National Health Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all meetings and events held by NHS agencies since May 2007 that have taken place at external facilities for which there was a charge, showing the (a) nature, (b) date and (c) total cost of each such meeting or event.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not held centrally.

National Health Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all meetings and events held by NHS boards since May 2007 that have taken place at external facilities for which there was a charge, showing the (a) nature, (b) date and (c) total cost of each such meeting or event.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not held centrally.

National Health Service

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-33183 by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 April 2010, how many of the 143 graduate nurses who took up employment with NHS Grampian in 2007-08 took up a post as a band 5 nurse.

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-33183 by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 April 2010, how many of the 223 graduate nurses who took up employment with NHS Grampian in 2008-09 took up a post as a band 5 nurse.

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-33183 by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 April 2010, how many of the 180 graduate nurses who took up employment with NHS Grampian in 2009-10 took up a post as a band 5 nurse.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Grampian has informed me that the number of graduate nurses who have taken up employment with them in recent years, as band 5 nurses, is as set out in the table below.

  

2007-08
143


2008-09
223


2009-10
180

National Insurance Contributions

Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding proposals to increase national insurance contributions.

John Swinney: Besides the impact on Scottish employers in the private sector the increase in national insurance contribution rates will result in approximately £104 million of the Scottish Government’s budget being returned to the Treasury in the form of higher tax payments. Were the money to stay in Scotland it could pay for approximately 2,300 more police officers or 4,000 more nurses each year.

  We have made it clear that we disagree with this increase especially when the country is emerging from a long and severe recession. We will continue to protest that this cut should be reversed to avoid further burdens on Scottish employers and protect front line public services in Scotland.

New Campus Glasgow

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on concerns of the Educational Institute of Scotland regarding possible redundancies resulting from the New Campus Glasgow project.

Keith Brown: Employment issues are a matter for a college’s board of management, as the employer. It is my understanding that the colleges in central Glasgow which are discussing merger do not intend that any compulsory redundancies should occur as a direct result of merger.

New Campus Glasgow

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether discussions are ongoing with Stow College regarding its position on the New Campus Glasgow project.

Keith Brown: No direct discussions between the Scottish Government and Stow College have taken place, or are planned, regarding the colleges position in any merger or in the New Campus Glasgow estates project.

New Campus Glasgow

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what process the New Campus Glasgow project will follow once it comes before ministers.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will satisfy itself that the New Campus Glasgow project is fit for purpose in terms of students and courses.

Keith Brown: Any proposal by the Scottish Funding Council to offer financial support in excess of its delegated authority requires to be approved by ministers. In such cases ministers would give close consideration to the business case, including the educational, financial and other benefits.

New Campus Glasgow

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will assess the suitability of the New Campus Glasgow project, given that it is a unique merger in Glasgow.

Keith Brown: Any proposal by the Scottish Funding Council to offer financial support in excess of its delegated authority requires to be approved by ministers. In such cases ministers would give close consideration to the business case, including the educational, financial and other benefits.

  On the related plans of the three colleges involved in New Campus Glasgow estates project also to explore merger, ministers have as yet received no request to approve such a step.

Procurement

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that sheltered businesses, such as Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries, have been invited to bid or had the chance to match best price for procurement contracts for supply of NHS uniforms under £144,000, in line with European regulations that allow organisations to reserve public contracts for such businesses.

Nicola Sturgeon: The requirements of the national uniform contract in terms of quality, timeliness, volumes required, price and technical expertise determined that the contract should be awarded on a sole supplier basis.

  The estimated annual value is approximately £3 million, dependant on health board uptake.

  All suppliers who notified an interest to the published contract notice and were able to demonstrate capability to meet the above requirements were invited to submit tenders. The business was awarded to the supplier whose tender scored highest against the published scoring criteria.

Procurement

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-25616 by John Swinney on 29 July 2009, whether the research on actual and perceived barriers to consortia bidding in the business community is publicly available and, if not, whether the Scottish Executive will undertake to make it publicly available.

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-25616 by John Swinney on 29 July 2009, what steps have been taken to address actual or perceived barriers identified in the research on consortia bidding.

John Swinney: The report Opportunities and Barriers to Consortia Bidding for Public Sector Contracts was published on November 16 2009, and is available online at the following links:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/11/16150241/0 (Full Report).

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/11/16150200/0 (Summary).

  Supplier collaboration, including consortia bidding, is one of a number of key procurement issues being considered by the recently established Supplier Engagement Working Group. The group brings together representatives from the public, private and third sectors and is exploring additional ways to enhance the economic impact of public procurement and improve access to contract opportunities, particularly, by smaller organisations. The group, chaired by Liz Cameron of the Scottish Chamber of Commerce, will report on progress to the Public Procurement Reform Board at its next meeting in June.

Rail Network

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what work is being done by Network Rail regarding the spread of Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed along railway lines in Scotland.

Stewart Stevenson: Vegetation management is an operational matter for Network Rail. However, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act it is required to control the spread of both Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed.

  Within Scotland, Network Rail confirms it has in place a programme of vegetation management which it says meets its legal obligations. As sites requiring control are identified, they are programmed for appropriate measures to be deployed.

Rail Services

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to change the terms of the passenger railway franchise in Scotland.

Stewart Stevenson: The current franchise agreement contains a variation mechanism which will allow changes/additions to the franchise terms during the contract’s duration. Included within the variation mechanism is the requirement to determine the effects of the change which is assessed based on the impact on revenue, costs and performance.

  A copy of the ScotRail Franchise Agreement is in the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (Bib. number 37777) and the Public Register version of the Franchise Agreement is available on Transport Scotland’s website http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/rail/rail-franchise/public-register/contents.

  The Scottish Government is responsible for the specification of the next franchise contract, which is due to commence in 2014.

Renewable Energy

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it had with (a) individuals and (b) organisations to inform its decision to withdraw the Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grant scheme for electricity generating technologies and for new build properties.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government’s recent consultation on the Energy Efficiency Action Plan gave individuals and organisations an opportunity to feed in views on whether Scottish Government support for microgeneration should be adjusted with the introduction of Clean Energy Cashback schemes. These views are summarised in the analysis of consultation responses, which was published on 16 April 2010 on the Scottish Government website:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/04/15164620/0

  In addition, Scottish Government maintains a regular dialogue across its own directorates and with the microgeneration industry and UK Government officials to inform policy and programme decisions.

Renewable Energy

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many grants it issued under the Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grant scheme in each of the last three years and how much this amounts to in carbon savings.

Jim Mather: The information requested is provided in the following table.

  

Year
Number of Grants Offered
Associated LifetimeCarbon Savings (tC)


2007-08
999
7,288


2008-09
1,074
9,881


2009-10
1,164
10,218

Renewable Energy

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason it reduced the maximum payable under the Energy Saving Scotland home loan scheme from £10,000 to £4,000 for electricity generating technologies and what evidence it collected to inform this decision.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government reduced the maximum payable under the Energy Saving Scotland home loan pathfinder for electricity generating technologies to balance the wider needs of the scheme and allow support for a range of measures, not just renewable electricity devices which are now supported by the Feed-In Tariff (FIT).

  Alongside the FIT, it is important to continue to assess public receptiveness to zero or low-interest loans. This will inform the evaluation of the loans pathfinder, the Energy Efficiency Action Plan and future policies and programmes.

Schools

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason it has no plans to contribute funding toward community facilities at the planned new Lasswade High School Centre.

Keith Brown: The Scottish Government is providing funding towards the replacement of the existing Lasswade High School and all of the facilities currently contained therein, including community facilities such as the gymnastics centre. The government understands that Midlothian Council is taking the opportunity to bring together other existing community facilities onto the new high school campus. Such an approach, which would be consistent with the vision, aspirations and principles of the new school estate strategy, Building Better Schools: Investing in Scotland’s Future, is entirely a matter for the council.

Scottish Funding Council

Shirley-Anne Somerville (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received a copy of any reports by the Scottish Football Review Committee chaired by Henry McLeish.

Shona Robison: The first stage of the Review of Scottish Football, which Henry McLeish has been chairing, was published by the Scottish Football Association (SFA) on Friday 23 April 2010 and is in the public domain.

  I welcome the publication of this comprehensive review which provides both the Government and the SFA with a number of recommendations. The report gives us the opportunity to sit down with our key partners and look at the type of support we can offer to ensure we are best placed to secure maximum benefit for football and other sports in the future.

Scottish Funding Council

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-32224 by Keith Brown on 18 March 2010, when the meetings with the Scottish Funding Council took place and what was discussed.

Keith Brown: Meetings took place on 10 February 2009, 5 May 2009, 26 October 2009, 21 December 2009, 25 January 2010, 2 February 2010 and 22 February 2010. The primary purpose of these meetings was to enable ministers and officials to be updated on relevant aspects of possible college merger and redevelopment of college estate.

Scottish Funding Council

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much further education colleges have been awarded by the Scottish Funding Council or its predecessor body in each of the last 10 years.

Keith Brown: The funding of further education colleges by the Scottish Funding Council is an operational matter for that body. I have asked the Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council to write to you providing the information you require.

Scottish Funding Council

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much higher education colleges have been awarded by the Scottish Funding Council or its predecessor body in each of the last 10 years.

Keith Brown: The award of funding to higher education colleges by the Scottish Funding Council is an operational matter for that body. I have asked the Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council to write to you providing the information you require.

Sport

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make a submission to the EU consultation on sport policy.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government will be responding to the EU consultation on sport policy. The UK Government is co-ordinating the response.

  However, Sport is a devolved responsibility and Scotland is recognised as having a different approach and the Scottish Government will ensure that the interests of Scottish Sport are represented in any UK wide response to the consultation. That makes it even more important for us to feed into the development of any UK-wide response to the consultation. We are actively engaged with the UK Government on how Scotland can help shape the UK position.

Water Industry Commission for Scotland

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Water Industry Commission for Scotland paid to meet the subsistence costs of its chairman in each of the last three financial years.

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Water Industry Commission for Scotland paid to meet the subsistence costs of its chief executive in each of the last three financial years.

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Water Industry Commission for Scotland spent on entertainment in each of the last three financial years.

Stewart Stevenson: The Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) is the independent economic regulator for the water industry in Scotland. Its detailed operating costs, including subsistence and entertainment costs, are matters for WICS to determine. I have asked Alan Sutherland, Chief Executive of WICS, to respond to you directly on the detail of your questions.

  I met with Sir Ian Byatt, WICS’ chair, on 14 April 2010 and reminded him that ministers, and the public, expect a high level of financial stringency from our public bodies, particularly in the current challenging economic climate.